We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rashida Costa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rashida, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I believe that everyone is born with that one thing that they are good at, most commonly referenced as our talent. For me my innate talents are writing and acting. From my experience, it is not enough to merely possess your talent. There are a set of skills that are both prerequisites as well as the core of the needed foundation with respect to the area of craft that your given talent falls under. So naturally, while I was good at acting I had to train professionally in order to develop my skills.
I studied different acting techniques such as: Stanislavsky’s System, Stella Adler Technique, and Meissner Technique with various coaches over the years.
Hindsight is 20/20, early on in my career; I thought that my talent alone was enough. So I didn’t get the professional training that would have advanced me to the next level in my career.
I strongly believe that learning the art of fine acting that will result in authenticity and a believable person, takes time, training, and experience. Rather it is a marathon not a sprint sort of journey, thus there is really no way to speed up the learning process.
I find that taking acting classes with a bit more degree of consistency does help in terms of honing my craft.
There is always so much to learn, one can never really acquire all the knowledge and skills needed, ongoing training is therefore a strong benefit in order to reap the merit of success.
The craft of acting is much like that of being a professional athlete. You are never done training, and in order to be at your best, you have to stretch your creative muscles incessantly. And if you are as passionate about the arts as I am, you will never experience unwearyingness.

Rashida, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

A woman of many hats, I had my first fitting for performing arts at 8 years old, and have been wearing my creative hat ever since. The art of storytelling is a freedom of expression that I have cherished and exercised along my artistic journey as an actress, playwright, and author. Pushing through the limitations of an unconventional childhood, I found myself through writing; my creative mind was always going at warp speed. For most of my life, writing was a joy; something I always took pride in.
As an empath and outspoken soul, it saddened me for others who had a story to tell but was silenced and was unable to use their voice. It was then that I found the gift and treasure in acting, because not only was it exhilarating embodying the life of another through various characters, but I got the honor of telling their stories.
That is something I feel very strongly about, we all have a story and the ability to be heard is a valuable human experience to be cherished.
Among other cherishable experiences and proud treasures are my husband of 18 years and three beautiful children.
They are supportive of my endeavors;
I have published several articles and a few books, including 365 Days Smarter, inclusive of 365 quotes and my most recent children’s book Who Lives in The Little Wooden House. A tedious but fun journey, but the most memorable and treasured part of my journey as an author was having their love and support along the way.
When I have to work on a project as an actress it is no different, their support is immeasurable.
On the heels of my family’s love and support, someone once asked me if I have a preference with respect to being an author or an actress. The answer is no, both offer a wonderful opportunity for an authentic journey that comes with the ride of a lifetime.
There are always little nuggets of goodness, and an element of relatable human experience in every story that I have been blessed to tell through my work.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Why do we do what we do? That seems to be the number one fundamental question people spend time trying to solve as though it’s calculus. Fear and rejection is a debilitating reality for most people. The entertainment industry is filled with a lot of talented people, and their hard work doesn’t always equate success.
After countless auditions and no bookings, it’s easy to get discouraged and frustrated with the process, but it is essential to understand that this is the nature of the business and not personalize it.
Believing in yourself is instrumental; there will be plenty of struggles, disappointments and tough times along the way. It is a hard journey, and you don’t need to be any tougher on yourself than the industry will be on you.
Les Brown once told this story of the man that was growing a Chinese bamboo tree. This tree takes on average 5 years to grow. Imagine how people reacted to seeing this man watering the soil diligently for years with nothing to show for it.
On the surface it certainly looks that way. But in retrospect, there is a lot that is going on underneath the soil. Therefore, the watering and nurturing of the soil is not useless.
This is analogous with the journey of an actor. It can sometimes seem as though despite your hard work, the doors just aren’t opening.
If you have been in the entertainment industry long enough, this has been your reality at some point or another.
It’s vital to remember who you are and why you chose this career, staying conscious of my why and purpose has helped me navigate some of the most oppressively burdensome points of my career as an actress, when it felt as though I was drowning in treacherous waters despite being a splendid swimmer.
The hallmark of positive outcomes in this business is enhanced by perseverance, mental toughness, consistency, and self-love.
Always be the leader of your own path, only then will you retain some level of control over your destiny.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I find the works of both Eric Thomas and Steve Harvey to be very impactful in a positive and meaningful way. I am always grateful and inspired by their teachings and the many lessons of wisdom they bestow upon others.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rashidacosta/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CostaRashida
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXxeZD589jznol5AIXVKhOA
• Other: http://www.rashidacostaauthor.com http://www.childrensauthorrashidacosta.com/ http://www.at-all-cost.com/ https://www.theatreandallthingsdramatics.com

Image Credits
Eric Weber images in the thumbnail.